Improvement in fish-guards for water-pipes



J. G' L. BOETTCHERQ Fish-Guard forwater-Pipes.

Patented April. 16, 1878,.

lvw wa o Y- W W f .M WWW w Jz/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN G. L. BOETTCHER, OF BROOKLYN, E. Dz, NEW YORK.

IMPRQVEMENT lN Fl SH-GUARDS FOR WATER-PIPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NO. 202,5 [3, dated April 16, 1878; application filed April 3, 1878.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. L. Bonrrcnnn, of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of vKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fish-Guards for Water- Pipes, which invention'lp'is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to lthe accompanying drawing, in which- `Fignre 1 represents a sectional view of a water-main with my service-pipe connection. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the month of my service pipe connection on a larger scale than the previous fignre. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionzof thesame in'the plane a: x of Fig. 2.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

Water-mains used to distribute the water in cities are ommonly infested with eels and small fish. These are often drawn into the service-pipes of houses, and, by stopping them up, produce serious inconvenience. Attempts have been made to obviate this difficulty by a projecting' cross-bar 01' guard-piece arranged crosswise at the mouth of the service-pipe connection, holes being provided in the sides of said pipe-connection opposite the faces of the guard-piece; but this arrangement is attended with several serious disadvantages. The projecting guard-piece is liable to become bent or broken, particularly in driving the end of the pipe-connection into the water-main. In making' such connection a hole is drilled into the watermain to receive the tapering end of the service-pipe connection; but said hole cannot be drilled clear through, because, if such should be done, a powerful jet of water would issue from the' main, and the introduction of the service-pipe connection would become exceedingly dificult. In drillingg,` the hole for the service-pipe connection, therefore, care is taken to leave a thin scale, which prevents the escape of water from the main, and which is drive-n in by the service-pipe connection itself.

In this operation the projecting guard-piece is liable to become broken or bent over. Furthermore, the projectin g guard-piece forms no guard against small fishes, and even fishes of a larger size are liable to become sucked in to such an extent that theyT are unable to extricate themselves, and that they finally die in their strug'gles, imparting to the Water in the main a bad and unwholesome flavor.

These difliculties I have sought to overcome by my inven'tion, which consists in the combination, with vthe month of a service-pipe connection, of a part-ition or partitions situated in the interior of said month, and apertures formed in the sides of the connection near its month, the edges of the partition or partitions being opposite to the centers of said apertures, so that each of the wings of the partition forms a stop, which eftectually prevents a fish from being sucked into the service-pipe connection or from becoming Wedged in one of 4 the apertures; and, furthermore, the partition is effectually protected from injury. The mouth of the service-pi pe connection is closed by a plug, to which the partition maybe secured.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a water-main in which is secured my servicepipe connection B. In the month of this service-pipe connection is placed a partition, a, (best seen in Fig '.3,) the edgesof which are opposite to the centers of apertures b in the sides of the connection B,near its inner end or mouth. These apertures are. oblong, their length being equal, or nearly so, to the length of the partition, and the mouth of the servicepipe connection is closed by a screw, ,0.

In the example shown in the drawing the partition is secured to this screw; but, if desired, the inner sides of the pipe-connection may be provided with grooves for the reception of the edges of the partition, and in this case the screw is made detached from the partition, and serves to retain the same in position. By this arrangement the partition is protected against injury, and each Wing of said partition forms a guard, which prevents a fish from being;` sucked in beyond the distance of the radius of the service pipe, as indicated in Fig. 3. It is therefore impossible that a fish should become so wedged in the month of the service-pipe that the same is not-able to eX- tricate himself." The month of the service-pipe cannot become stopped up, and the guard is so situated that' it is not liable to become injured when the pipe-connection is driven into the water-main. I

The partition a, as shown in the drawing, is

cross-shaped; but it may be made in the form of a single plate extending transversely across the interior of theI service-pipe.

Instead of the screw c, a plug of any suitable form may be nsed, and fastened by solder or other suitable means.

/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the month of a service-pipe connection, of a partition or partitions situated in the interior of said month, and apertures formed in the sides of the connection near its month, the edges of the partition or partitions being opposite to the centers of said apertures, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. The combination, With the month of a service-pipe connection, of a cross-shaped partition situated in the interior of said month7 and apertures forined in the sides of the connection near its month, the edges of the par' tition being opposite to the centers of said apertures, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The eombination,with the month of a service-pipe connection, of a plug supporting a partition or partitions and fitting into said month, and apertures formed in the sides of the connection near its month, the edges of the partition or partitions being opposite the centers of said apertures, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony Whereof I have herennto set Ilny hand and seal this 2d day of April, A. D.

JOHN G. L. BOETTCHER.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, I E. F. KAs'rENHUBER. 

